New York, I love you ❤️✨
The Big Apple, NYC, the city portrayed in countless movies and described in ten thousand books...New York City, where dreams come true and stars are made. Yes certainly easy to believe that, standing under the bright lights and walking down timeless avenues with thousands of other people, complete strangers. I've often heard that New Yorkers are "another breed", arrogant and self-centered. Yet today, we only met friendly smiles with kind words to say, reminding me that they're just like every other person I know. Just another one trying to make it through their life the best way they can. Such a nice reminder for the summer ahead.
Today began with a nice sleep in by my fellow travelers, as they've had much longer few days than I have, hailing from Oregon. But I got up a bit earlier and left for coffee down the block while they got ready. We ended up leaving by 11, completing my first ever Airbnb experience along with my first ever NYC apartment experience!
We started with lunch at Gatsby's (sadly no, not that one) to fuel ourselves for today's main attraction: Liberty and Ellis Island! It is important, after all, to see where we come from, and for millions of Americans today, their story starts on a ship bound to New York Harbor, with that iconic image of Lady Liberty beckoning them in with her promise of freedom. It's a beautiful image.
Notice the skyscrapers in the background. I love that little irony.
You'd never know it was in the middle of one of the worlds largest city
And it comes complete with a community softball field. How NYC
She was conceived of by Monsieur Edouard Laboulaye, a famous French politician who dreamed up the image along with Frederic Bartholdi, to spite their own country's government, ruled by the extravagant Napoleon III who cared more about government regulations, censorship, and the almighty dollar (or, franc I suppose?) than his people. She was destined for America to stand proud representing our absolute freedom that is THE characteristic of our great nation. However, the statue would never have come to physical fruition if Gustav Eiffel (yep, THAT guy) had not stepped in with a marvelous engineering idea - make her hollow and cover her with metal strips to allow slight movement, similar to the bridges for which he was famous for designing. After the promise of the gift was made, under a new French government by this time, newspaper mogul Joseph Pulitzer enlisted the help of his readers to donate money to a "Pedestal Fund" on which to sit her. He promised anyone who donated that he would put their name in the paper, such a grand marketing scheme. But it worked. And now she stands in the harbor, beckoning the world to "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
-Emma Lazarus poem "The New Colossus"
New friends and old, basking in the shadow of Liberty and relishing in the iconic skyline
Beside Lady Liberty rests another island, the most dreaded and important to those millions of "huddled masses" that sought a new life in America. Ellis Island became the first federally regulated immigration checkpoint in the USA, opening in 1892 and operating until 1954. It saw the passing through of over 12 million souls, only turning away 250,000. So much history in that place it's overwhelming.
It's hard to imagine the setting a century ago. Imagine being from Sweden, preparing for months to come to America, the great "Land of Opportunity," and finally booking a one way ticket on a steamship. 10 days of rough waters and anxiety over whether or not you could pass on to the shore, a new life ahead. Or be turned away, sent home to scrape together anything you possibly could to survive. Imagine being ferried over to the island, possibly forced to wait for up to two days without food or water (unless you had brought some along) in that ferryboat, regardless of the weather. Then finally being ushered ashore, walking into the building to have your fate determined, all the while being jostled by thousands of others around you who didn't speak Swedish, but hundreds of other languages you'd never heard. Then leaving your baggage on the floor with some uniformed worker, when uniformed workers at home meant distrust. But suddenly it didn't. Then walking up the stairs to be jostled and pressed into the backs of more people, waiting for medical inspection in the largest room on the island, the registry room. After having your eyelids turned out, being interrogated about your identity, and hopefully passing the inspection given to you via a Swedish translator and a kind looking American worker, you've finally made it - you're now granted the opportunity to come to America...
Thinking of it that way made me even more proud of my country. We may have our issues, we may not have always had unlimited freedom, but we've done the best we can, and for twelve million foreigners to have thought so sure is something
The tour of the islands took most of the day, so we only had a few hours left before catching our bus back to DC. So, naturally, we opted for dinner. Mexican was the food of choice tonight, and seeing as we wanted to glimpse Central Park at least once before our departure, we chose a restaurant close by. It was actually just up the street from the famous Carnegie Deli, home of mile high Reuben's and the BEST cheesecake in the world!
We then trotted over to the park, our bellies full and our hearts as well, but couldn't get more than that glimpse, unfortunately. I do, however, completely understand why New Yorkers need it. With the bustle of city life, the tight and cramped atmosphere, it would be so nice to have that green haven to unwind in, a taste of sprawling nature at its finest.
Now, I'm sitting on a Megabus heading back to another city that holds such significance to the nation and the world. I'm so blessed to live in, truly, the most unique, brave, and beautiful country in history. I have been given opportunities most people in the world don't have, and I can attribute a lot of that to America. But I also have friends to share it with, make priceless memories with, and with which to have great conversations. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but for now, I'm content. The past 48 hours have been long, fulfilling, rewarding. We've encountered homeless men with advice and boom boxes, a stand up comedian currently standing in as a friendly waitress, strangers in need of help on the Subway, and a journey through a city of ten thousand more encounters to be had on a hundred thousand other days. But these two were spent in the company of new friends and old, and I am content with the kindness I've witnessed and times I've had. Until next time, New York. I love you!
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